Mt. Fuji (elev. 12,390 feet) is like Mt. Rainier (elev. 14,411 feet) — it’s huge, yet it can hide. In the Pacific Northwest, “The Mountain is out” is understood to refer uniquely to Mt. Rainier, and when The Mountain is out, it’s glorious. Oddly, Mt. Rainier can look small when viewed from Seattle. It’s best appreciated, I think, from a ferry on Puget Sound, where on a clear day you can see The Mountain looming, with tiny Seattle at its feet.
We can see Mt. Fuji from Zushi Beach. Sometimes, it gleams with clarity. Often, it hides in haze or fog, and emerges only slowly as the sun goes down, as though to say こんばんは(konbanwa, good evening). Some days, it stays hidden. It’s never the same mountain twice.
Sunset in Zushi is an event. It’s easy to enjoy in an appropriately socially distant way, and I appreciate how people pause and take a moment to come out and enjoy their mountain. Sadly, Mt. Fuji’s main hiking trail is closed for the summer 2020 season, and as of May, the other three trails are likely to follow. For now, distant views of Mt. Fuji are the closest we’re going to get.
The legendary artist Hokusai (1760-1849) created the famous woodblock print set “36 Views of Mt. Fuji,” which actually consists of 46 prints. This is my homage to Hokusai, shot on a cell phone.
Mostly City Stuff 